The Mid Life Crisis and Its Significance In Astrology

Source: blog.brazencareerist.com

Recently I got to talk with an astrologer and one of the topics we talked about was the mid life crisis. Apparently, in astrology the mid life crisis is quite real and important. Here's how it was explained to me.

We understand the mid life crisis as a period of reflection and sometimes confusion about one's place in life. It can also be one of those times when someone earning a six or seven-figure salary suddenly drops everything and gives it all up to start a band, or something else that's not as financially lucrative. Crazy, right?

This period of reckoning happens most intensely from age 42 until 49. However, it's possible for a person to start questioning himself/herself even as early as the mid-thirties, just as it's also possible for the period to last up to the age of 51.

In order to understand why this period happens, we need to know a little of what astrology does. In astrological terms, every person has a "destiny" (we do have free will). The positions of the planets and stars at the time of a person's birth determines, in very large part, a person's interests, talents and life events that the person is expected to go through in this lifetime.

More often than not, we are molded by what society expects from us, and thus we start to live according to the standards that have been set down for us. It's not like Divergent where you need to be part of a faction to be accepted in society, but sometimes we make our choices more out of pragmatism or social pressure than true desire.

Sounds preposterous? Well, did you know that before World War I, women really didn't mind having armpit and leg hair? But shortly after World War I, a massive advertising campaign dubbed "The Great Underarm Campaign" slowly changed market attitudes so that it would now be anathema for women to show off hairy underarms (or legs) in public. Read 5 Basic Facts of Life (Were Made Up by Marketing Campaigns) to find out what else we've been manipulated into accepting as part of daily life.

In astrology, the farther you get from expressing your true or inner inclinations, the more you start to feel that "something is missing." While this line of thought may only tease one's mind while young, it takes on more significance as one's 40s draws closer. The intensity of this period differs from person to person, but generally speaking the farther one is from the point of "this is how it's supposed to be" or "I am doing what I am supposed to," the more intense the self-questioning is.

In biblical terms, a mid life crisis can feel like the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32:22-32). The outcome will mark you and leave you changed forever.

The question is, why does the mid life crisis happen at the period that it does? What's so special about the 40s aside from it being the midpoint of average life expectancy?

The number 40 appears many times in Biblical scripture. The 40 years the tribes of Israel wandered the desert, Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights, the 40 days and nights it rained during the Great Flood, etc. They all refer to periods of testing and judgement.

But the number 40 can also mean the start of a journey. After all, isn't there a saying that life begins at forty? And it's more than just a joke to play down one's age. Traditionally, a man is only initiated into the study of the Kaballah once he reaches the age of 40.

From the astrological point of view, the planet Saturn exerts its influence more strongly in a person's life during one's 40s. As it turns out, in Franz Bardon's hermetic system, Saturn is the sphere where the Lords of Karma reside. So esoterically speaking, it means that this period puts more focus on one's life karma than at other points in one's life.

Resolution doesn't necessarily involve giving up or changing one's career. If you've always wanted to be a doctor and have a successful practice, any period of self reflection may simply involve adding another specialty or moving from clinical to administrative duties.

According to the astrologer I talked to, there are three outcomes that can be expected from a mid-life crisis:

1. The person recognizes what he/she really wants to do in life and does it regardless of the social cost,

2. The person comes to terms with not being able to follow his/her true inclinations (usually because of financial responsibilities like sending his/her kids to school). It's also possible the person may try to incorporate some aspects of his/her passion into his/her regular life without making too many waves.

3. The person is unable to come to terms with his/her life and a breakdown happens (not necessarily leading to a room with a padded wall, but the person can develop vices, be more hot tempered or just have a general air of disgruntlement; he/she can also start to develop serious illnesses at this point, i.e. a breakdown of health).

But whether one goes through an actual mid life crisis or not, I think the most important take away is that it's not so much about following your dreams as it is about being at peace with where you decide to take your life. In that sense, you are taking responsibility for your choices and when the self-questioning begins, you will find out whether you can really stand by your choices or not.